Business is booming for region at awards – full details and gallery

The cream of the region's businesses came together at Wolverhampton Racecourse for an evening of celebration and success.

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A total of 27 finalists were vying for one of the eight top prizes up for grabs at the Express & Star Business Awards 2012.

And a full house of more than 350 guests witnessed the triumph of the winning firms, while paying tribute to the quality of all the evening's finalists.

Event compere and Radio WM presenter Joanne Malin said: "To have made it through to the finals of this tough competition is a fantastic achievement.

"Tonight is about showcasing the best businesses that the region has to offer."

She added: "After several years of economic challenges we are here, leaner and fitter than the last time around. The world has changed. And we have all had to change with it.

"To have even survived is testimony to the determination and spirit of innovation that prevails in our community."

Proving her point were 20 of the region's finest businesses, from estate agents and accountants to manufacturing and delivery firms.

The first Express & Star Business Awards in nearly four years attracted the great and good from across the area, all keen to celebrate the achievements of the region's best businesses.

And guests were given a rapid-fire lesson in business success from Jim McCarthy, chief executive of Willenhall-based £1-for-everything chain Poundland.

As the evening's guest speaker he entertained the audience with the story of his rise from Midland newspaper boy to the head of one of the country's most impressive retail businesses, modestly dubbing himself "Lucky Jim".

And he passed some of the lessons he had learned along the way about recruiting the best people and gaining the support of a workforce by sharing the company's aims and values with them.

For Poundland, he said, the result was the prospect of growth in the UK, online and in mainland Europe over the next couple of years.

But the main event of the evening was the string of business awards, and a low buzz of excitement in the dining room heralded the announcement of the first prize, for Exports, sponsored by Lloyds TSB Commercial.

In what was to become a common theme for the night, judges said they had been impressed with all three finalists for the award and labelled having to choose one winner as "a tough call".

It was won by the Brockhouse Group, a closed die forgings specialist from West Bromwich, described by judges as a firm with "very positive" future prospects. Peter Davies, non executive director said: "This award is fantastic. We have got an amazing amount of skill.

"We are old fashioned heavy industry and we have realised that we can compete."

The Young Business of the Year, sponsored by Carvers Building Supplies, was Wolverhampton software company Zeel Solutions.

One of the biggest parties of the night, both tables of Zeel staff surged to the stage in delight to collect their award.

Managing director Rav Cheema said: "We are all elated. Everything is down to our team, which is why we are all here."

His colleague Dave Smith added: "We operate nationally and internationally, but we are proud to be from Wolverhampton and it is very special to win an award in your home."

Judges said: "Zeel Solutions attracted everyone's attention with slick marketing of its software solutions products, a very distinct identity and an ambitious vision of the future."

The evening's Green Award, sponsored by IB Construction, went to Stewardson Developments. Its offices in Swan House, Lower High Street, are run using solar power and rainwater harvesting and the company has been mentioned in Parliament for its commitment to green innovation.

It is run by joint managing directors Mark and Philip Stewardson. Mark said: "We would like to thank everyone that is involved from tenants through to the people that work with and supply us, it is a really great effort."

Sponsored by Aspray 24, the Best Place To Work award went to document management company EDM Group, based in Bilston. Impressed judges said the staff they had met at EDM were "pretty inspirational".

HR manager Julie Burley said: "I'm just thrilled to bits. It's all down to our people, who are fantastic. Over 70 per cent of our staff have been promoted from within. I am just so proud of them. We just told the judges to talk to our people."

EDM employs 400 people at its Village Way headquarters in Bilston and has won a string of new contracts in the last year, as well as become the UK's biggest data storage business following a £52 million takeover deal.

Staff member Chris Addison added: "There's great pride and a great work ethic. People enjoy working there."

Another tightly-fought competition saw Wolverhampton-based Clarkwood Engineering chosen as winner of the Manufacturing Champion Award, sponsored by Goodrich Actuation Systems.

The business makes state-of-the-art fasteners and special turned parts at its unit at Blakenhall Industrial Estate and impressed the judges with their new products, investmentin new technology and apprenticeships. They were described as "an impressively tight-knit company".

Managing director Roger Wood said: "I am absolutely ecstatic. It is a family business and we have just grown and grown.

"We have got so many new projects and we have done everything to promote the business and new business. We are very proud."

The University of Wolverhampton sponsored the evening's Innovation Award was won by Tipton-based H&R ChemPharm (UK). It was applauded by the judges for its small development team which "created a new product with added qualities and advanced features which other similar products could not compete against."

The prize centred on the firm's development of a water barrier polymer dubbed Sahara. Development manager Chris Lyons said: "Five years ago we didn't actually have a project development team. After five years, to win an award like this shows how far we have come and the value of innovation. We are currently looking at winning business worth around £1 million. I am really proud for the whole team."

Winner of the Small Business of the Year award, sponsored by Higgs & Sons solicitors, was Network Packaging Ltd of Wolverhampton.

It was one of the most enthusiastic winners of the night, staff literally jumped to their feet with delight at the announcement, flocking to the stage to receive their award exchanging hugs and smiles.

The independent packing materials distributor is based at Spring Road Industrial Estate in Ettingshall and offers a wide range innovative packaging solutions for its customers.

Judges were taken by the firm's "passion for innovative packaging solutions and first class customer growth"

They also noted: "A high level of staff morale and a strong strategy for growth."

Sales director Martin Dunn, said: "I am absolutely over the moon, it is a fantastic achievement."

The biggest award of the night, sponsored by the Express & Star, was for Business of the Year and saw entries whittled down to a final three: delivery group APC Overnight based in Essington, historic Lichfield cutlery firm Arthur Price and foundry and furnance engineering firm Mechatherm International, based in Kingswinford.

Choosing APC as their overall winner, the judges said the felt the company had achieved an impressive revenue and profit improvement, based on providing superb customers service and tipped them as a business to watch for the future.

Delighted chief executive Syed Ziaullah, only promoted to the top job in January this year, said: "This is truly amazing. This is a true endorsement and demonstrates the passion and hard work of everyone at APC.

"It's not just down to one person or even the board of directors; its everyone. It's humbling to be standing here holding this award.

"I will cherish this; it's going to have its own cabinet built for it. It's only the second award we have ever entered. We normally just get on and do what we do, so to receive an award like this is absolutely fantastic."

The company delivers 1.4 million parcels a month through its hub at Essington and 120-strong network of local depots. This year it is building a £14 million new base in Cannock, which will more than double its workforce in the area.

It also proved a successful night for the event's chosen good cause, armed services charity Help For Heroes. A prize draw raised £2,532 thanks to an array of attractive prizes including a Tresor Paris lady's bracelet and a Help for Heroes bracelet made of parachute cord, both donated by TA Henn in Wolverhampton; a balloon ride for two with Virgin

Balloon Flights, first class rail travel with Virgin Trains on the West Coast route, and a 44-piece canteen of cutlery, designed by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and worth £400, from Lichfield firm Arthur Price, one of the contenders.

Charity spokeswoman Lynne Fox, a retired RAF Wing Commander, gave a moving description of the difficulties faced by injured service personnel and of the assistance the charity was able to provide.